The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, has dismissed six-count charges against the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu and his co-accused.
At the resumed hearing on Wednesday, March 1, 2017 of the secessionist group’s leader, the presiding judge, Justice Binta Nyako dismissed count charges 3, 5, 7, 9, 10, and 11, bordering on belonging to unlawful society, illegal importation of radio transmitters and carrying out research on the internet on how to make improvised explosive devices (IEDs) among others.
Justice Nyako said the prosecuting team had failed to provide evidence to prove that the allegations in the charges were true.
The judge insisted that the IPOB leader must be re-arraigned on five count charges bordering on treasonable felony.
By this ruling, the court acknowledges the fundamental human rights of the people of Biafra to assemble and agitate for an independent country.
A human rights group, Intersociety has praised the ruling of the federal court saying, that the ruling by Justice Nyaka decriminalises IPOB and other non-violent pro-biafra secessionist groups.
“The entire eleven spurious and persecutorial charges levelled against Citizens Nnamdi Kanu, Dave Nwawuisi, Ben Madubugwu and Chidiebere Onwudiwe should have been dismissed in totality,” the group said in a statement to The Trent on Thursday.
“Though the dismissal is long overdue and long expected but it is legally and constitutionally grounded. It is a victory for the Fundamental Human Rights provisions in Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution and their counterparts in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the International Covenants on Civil & Political Rights and Economic, Social & Cultural Rights as well as the African Charter on Human & Peoples Rights.
“It must be pointed out that matters involving human rights transcend all the boundaries of all regions of the world without hindrances and restrictions.”
